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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | synchro1 <synchro1@ix.netcom.com> |
| Subject | Re: Hall & Oates: War Babies / ...Red Ledge |
| Date | Wed, 28 Apr 2004 22:17:59 -0700 |
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At 08:25 PM 04/28/2004, you wrote:
>I'm surprised to hear War Babies is out of print. It is basically a Utopia
>album-- the first, synth-laden Utopia-- with TR stinging guitar solos. I
>gather H&O were going for a glam, Ziggy kind of thing. I file it right
>between Todd and TR's Utopia, in the Todd section; I don't even consider it
>a H&O album. Others may disagree.
>
>PS this was, I think, where Todd got Willie Wilcox (drummer) from. <snip>
I believe you are correct, and that was when he was still credited as John
G. Wilcox. And I think he is the weak link on the album and can only
imagine how it would have sounded with Kevin Ellman instead.
Keyboards are credited to Don York (?), although I suspect the electronic
synth parts were Todd, they sound like a progression from the Frog approach
to Roger Powell, somewhere in between. A few of the synth parts are among
the best ever played on a pop album with a progressive/experimental bent
(my opinion).
It is out of print. And it was late to ever come into print in CD
format. It is a mediocre pressing with bad art reproduction on the
"Atlantic Original Sound" series released as one of the 50 releases for the
Atlantic 50th Anniversary year. It is still a great nostalgic listen for
me and it rotates through my mp3 play list weekly. I used to play my vinyl
copy to death. Red Ledge is quite fine, also. And I think parts of Beauty
On A Back Street are underrated and deserve a fresh appreciation.
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